On the Royal Agenda
by CellularMink
Summary: "Who cares what happened in the past? We only have today… and the future, I guess, so we'll give it everything we've got. Right?" Elsa and Anna, after years of separation, are finally learning what it means to have a sister. Whether that entails supporting one another or bending over backwards for the other, a sister is someone you share your life's adventures with. slight Elsanna
1. Chapter 1

"I like the open gates," Elsa heard her sweet sister's voice. Only two weeks had passed since the Great Thaw. At times when she was alone, in the privacy of her own mind and memory, Elsa found herself reliving the promise she made that day.

"We are never closing them again."

She carried out that promise as if it were at the top of the royal agenda.

Every day, the castle came alive with music and sun, and after the day was spent and night fell upon her kingdom, Elsa would spend hours in her study with Anna hovering close over her shoulder. The two of them worked together, pouring through pamphlets and documents. They would search for new sources of entertainment, hire performers to act out Elsa's favorite dramas, and they would find musicians to play during elaborate dinners with guests, all of whom Anna was all too eager to meet.

Tonight was no exception to their routine. Elsa found herself seated comfortably in her deep red velvet chair, and she was always faintly aware of how old it was by how deeply she sank into it. The pale glow of candlelight illuminated the few papers spread across her cherry wood desk, and her sister's warmth enveloped the woman with a comfort unknown to her until just recently.

Anna's arms draped loosely over Elsa's shoulders, hands resting contentedly at Elsa's front. Her sister's closeness tended to make working difficult. A task that should have only taken an hour would transform into one that took twice as long to complete. Despite that, Elsa loved Anna's company. Although she wouldn't admit it aloud, she found herself looking forward to nighttime the most; the day's main activities paled in comparison to the time she spent with her sister in the dim light of her study. She didn't even need to turn around to see Anna's smile. The way the redhead's chin would dig in just the slightest bit more at the crown of Elsa's head was enough to tell her what kind of expression graced Anna's features.

"Ooh, what about this one?" Anna pointed to a sheet of paper at the top of the desk. Her eager fingers strained to grasp it at its corner, but fell short by a few inches. Elsa took the initiative to slide the sheet closer to the two of them.

On the crisp sheet of parchment, two inked figures clashed swords. They were engaged in what appeared to be a duel, or even some sort of dance.

"We could watch a swordfight! That would be so cool!" Anna's excited voice tickled the back of Elsa's neck, her hot breath almost too close for comfort.

"That sounds dangerous… will anybody get hurt?" Elsa asked, her slender fingers reaching over her shoulder to play idly with her sister's strawberry blonde braids.

Her sister's hands suddenly clasped at Elsa's shoulders. The woman flinched briefly from the unexpected contact, but she quickly relaxed when Anna resigned to patting her shoulders reassuringly. "Psh! Of course not. It's a performance. It's not real," Anna said. "At least, I don't think it's for real…?"

Elsa giggled and rolled her eyes, grinning like a fool. "You're always so excited about the violent performances. I've noticed the trend. Yesterday you were talking about hosting a fisticuffs tournament. The day before, you wanted to watch Arendelle's best archers…" She paused, humming thoughtfully as she threaded one of Anna's braids in the spaces between her fingers. "Why don't we just hire—"

"Wh-what? Are you calling me violent?" Anna feigned a dramatically hurt voice, effectively cutting Elsa off. "I'll have you know, I'm a perfectly gentle, kind – well, except for that one time when I punched Prince Hans. But he deserved it! "

Elsa flicked her fingers, sending a small, contained puff of snowflakes scattering in front of Anna's nose. "I was only kidding," she said with a smirk, locking eyes with the warm blue of her sister's. "I know how entertaining these shows can be. I'll see about arranging one of them. Just for you."

Anna stood up and released Elsa's shoulders from her grip.

"You know, Elsa, you're really sweet." Anna grinned at the blonde, holding her gaze for a moment before her eyes darted quickly off to the side. "… A-Are my cheeks red right now?" The younger sister placed her palms on her face, feeling her own rosy warmth. Then, she extended her arm and pointed a playful, accusatory finger at Elsa. "Hey, it's your fault. You're way too charming! You're always making me blush."

It was Elsa's turn to blush. Heat quickly rose in her cheeks, overtaking her pale complexion. "What… what are you talking about? I didn't say anything strange, did I?"

"No, but you need to give Kristoff lessons on how to treat a lady. You're so much more romantic than he is," Anna grinned, spinning on her heel to face away from Elsa. She was laughing, and her little turn was light-hearted and free.

Elsa breathed a light sigh of relief. She'd taken her sister too seriously again. The corners of her lips curved into a teasing smile.

"I'll consider it," she said. "And if you ever need me to fill the void that his unromantic self leaves unfulfilled, just… come to me and I'll do my best to play the part," Elsa laughed.

Anna tossed a glance over her shoulder. "How chivalrous of you. Is that an offer?" she asked with a mischievous quirk of her eyebrow.

Elsa blinked and opened her mouth dumbly. "I suppose so," she answered. She didn't know what she'd been expecting Anna to say, but somehow, Anna's honest inquiry caught her off guard.

Anna turned back around to face her elder sister. The redhead had her thumb and forefinger pressed up against her chin, forming an angle. Her eyebrows were furrowed in thought and she caught her lower lip between her teeth, pressing lightly into the soft flesh. She hummed contemplatively from somewhere high in her throat. Even when she was thinking, Elsa noticed that her sister maintained a playful air about her.

Come to think of it… in the past two weeks since their reunion, she had only seen Anna being joyful, bubbly, and carefree. Elsa knew, however, that underneath that cheerful exterior were sides to Anna she hadn't yet seen.

Elsa thought back to the coronation ball. Their first meeting after years of separation. Elsa recalled the hurt in Anna's eyes, the pain and the loneliness. A pang of shame and guilt crept up in Elsa's heart, but the Queen gritted her teeth, willing the image and the sensation to go away.

She made an oath to herself. She wouldn't be the cause of Anna's pain anymore. No matter what, she would do her best to ensure her sister's continued happiness.

… Suddenly, warmth.

Elsa's gaze first fell upon her own pale hands, caught in her sister's warmer ones. Save for the mischievous twinkle in Anna's eyes, there was no warning before the younger sister tugged and threw her weight back onto her heels, pulling Elsa from her chair.

The Queen stumbled forward from the force of Anna's pull, but thankfully, she fell safely into Anna's arms rather than face-first onto the floor.

"Whoops, sorry about that," the princess giggle-snorted. "But I needed you to stand up, and you weren't moving."

Elsa found herself nearly nose-to-nose with her sister… and at that moment, only one thought flashed through her mind.

_Kristoff is a lucky man._

At a speed almost unnatural for her, Elsa straightened herself up and gently pried herself free from Anna's vicelike grip. She cleared her throat and placed a hand over her chest, trying to calm the quick pitter-pattering of her heart.

"Ahem. You could have asked," the woman chided with a small smile.

Anna scoffed indignantly, folding her arms over her chest. "I guess so. I just didn't think of that at the time. But come on, I want to show you something!"

She took Elsa's wrist in her hand, yet again dragging her older sister around like a rag doll. Elsa rolled her eyes, laughing breathlessly as they made their way out of Elsa's study and down the hall.

"So, what does this have to do with Kristoff's incompetency in all things romantic?" Elsa asked.

"It's kind of related," Anna chirped back, "but not really. I just remembered this really, really important thing from a long time ago." She paused when they arrived in front of the door to Anna's room. "I'm saying 'really' too much, aren't I?"

"Only a little," Elsa grinned.

Anna turned the handle to her room, pushing the door open with dramatic force. "But, anyway! It's something I know Kristoff would _never_ want to do. He doesn't really like helping people, and besides, I… I wouldn't want to do this with him anyway. Oh, it's not like there's anything wrong with him, but—okay, I'll stop talking. It's just something between you and me."

Elsa quirked an inquisitive brow. "Between you and me?" she repeated. "And what might that be?"

Anna finally freed Elsa's wrist and crossed the room to her bedside table. She crouched down, pulled the lower drawer out, and began leafing through a small stack of papers.

Curiosity got the best of Elsa, and she followed behind her sister to peek at the contents of the drawer. What was so special about these pages? Her eyes roamed over the colorful, aged sheets of paper. On each piece of paper were primitive pictures, drawn in crayon by an untrained hand. Elsa's heart melted at the sight of them. Anna must have drawn these when she was younger.

_She kept these all these years?_

"Aha! Found it!" Anna exclaimed triumphantly, taking one sheet in her hand and thrusting it toward Elsa. "Here… oh, I should explain it, shouldn't I?"

Elsa squinted at the picture. It was dark in Anna's room, and the only source of light was the moonlight filtering through the paned glass window. She could make out two figures in the drawing. Their heads were circles, and their bodies were little triangles with sticks for arms and legs. A blonde girl and a redhead. Without a doubt, this drawing depicted Elsa and Anna… though, their triangular bodies were strangely tall, almost disproportionately so. A ship floated in the air, and surrounding Elsa and Anna were other stick figures, small and stout.

_Adorable..._

Elsa wanted to ask about the pictures, but her words wouldn't come. Her voice was caught in her throat, and she was afraid she'd crack if she even attempted to speak.

"Let's see," Anna took the picture back, analyzing it quickly before thrusting it once again at Elsa. "This picture is us when we're grown up – like now, I guess, and in our hands… see, look," she pointed a thin finger at the drawing. "We're holding a book together, reading to some young school kids."

_Anna, you're…_

The princess's voice grew soft, wistful. "I used to imagine I'd be your right hand, and we'd take care of our people together. We wouldn't be those royals who stayed cooped up inside. We'd go out and earn our people's trust, and I… I just think it'll be fun."

_Why are you so perfect? So selfless? _

When Anna finally looked up at Elsa, she noticed her older sister's eyes were brimming with barely restrained tears.

Anna let out a small gasp. "Elsa… are you crying?"

Elsa shook her head softly and blinked back her tears. "I'm — no, it's just that you're so compassionate," she murmured, her voice wavering. "And it makes me realize how much time we've…"

"Lost?" Anna finished her sentence in a small voice.

"Yes."

And then Anna's arms wrapped around Elsa, squeezing her tightly. Anna blanketed Elsa in her warmth, her affection, her love. She didn't let go.

"I think we can still make up for it," Anna spoke quietly against Elsa's head buried into her shoulder.

Elsa's silence didn't deter Anna from continuing. Instead, it seemed only to spur her on. Elsa knew how perceptive Anna could be. Anna was doing her a favor, speaking when Elsa's words left her, thinking for the girl whenever Elsa's thoughts threatened to break her down. Filling the air with positive energy whenever Elsa could barely manage a smile.

"… This next part might sound a _little_ strange," Anna said sheepishly, "but, I think it'd be wonderful if we could just leave our royal lives for a day, maybe a few, and just… you know, mingle with normal people. Help where we're needed. There's so much we can do to make a difference in the world! We'll do it together, Elsa. You and me. Who cares what happened in the past? We only have today… and the future, I guess, so we'll give it everything we've got. Right?"

Elsa squeezed her arms around her sister even tighter.

"Right."

"… Can you cancel all our appointments and all that entertainment we ordered for… maybe the next week or so? The Princess of Arendelle formally requests a trip."

"Of course, Anna."


	2. Chapter 2

"Clothes… plenty! Food… we can get it on the way. Boots? Check. Money? … Ehhhh."

Anna stood in the center of her room, although right now, her room looked more like a battleground than a bedroom befitting a princess. Clothes poured from her closet and spilled onto the floor. Her sheets were somehow a tangled mess, and her shoes were strewn all over the room, many of them missing their matching "solemates", which had probably been haphazardly tossed into a different corner of the room.

The mess just sort of… happened. It wasn't her fault that the only clothes she owned were of the royal kind. Immaculately sewn, tailored, and fitted. Crafted with only the best materials. She had to search high and low for something even vaguely suitable for the mission she and Elsa were about to embark on.

Anna threw up her arms in surrender, groaning as she flopped down on her bed. She could hardly believe she had to clean up, too. Taking everything out was easy, but putting it back?

An impossible task.

Worth the effort, though. Definitely, irrefutably worth it once she thought of the reason for it all.

Anna could hardly wait. She never imagined she'd be able to live out her childhood dreams. When she and Elsa were separated thirteen years ago, Anna had taken up drawing as a means to pass the time. She had been afraid of forgetting her sister's face, forgetting her voice. And so she drew pictures. Pictures depicting the stories she and Elsa had shared, the promises they made to each other.

She considered showing Elsa the rest of them, but even Anna didn't know if she was ready herself. The only reason she had been flipping through the papers so quickly was because she didn't want to break down into a blubbering mess. She knew that if she lingered too long on them, the tears would start to fall. Elsa was already on the verge of crying last night; God forbid what would happen once the two of them really sat down and went over all the pages together. But... she'd show Elsa eventually. She figured they were something Elsa needed to see. To Anna, they represented a precious, fleeting part of her childhood, the time when she and her sister were together. Whenever she recalled something Elsa had said to her, Anna would draw it. Eventually... she stopped drawing.

Anna couldn't help but wonder. Would Elsa remember the promises they made, all those years ago?

_... Elsa._

Her sister's image flickered beneath her eyelids. Elsa at her desk sending correspondence to all kinds of important people, Elsa in the meeting room with her advisors, Elsa reviewing trade agreements and diplomatic arrangements with neighboring kingdoms…

Anna frowned and squeezed her eyes shut. She threw her hand across her face as if to shield herself from the sun.

_Elsa always works hard. And here I am, just being a kid._

Anna sneered. Why couldn't she act a little more her age? All she was worried about was having fun. And Elsa was kind enough to play along. Maybe Elsa wasn't even interested in this trip. Maybe she was just indulging Anna...

She probably felt bad for her.

There was no way Elsa even had time to go out into their kingdom, playing Anna's juvenile game of "mingle-with-townsfolk-and-do-good-deeds".

Heat rushed to Anna's face and she shot up in her bed, burying her head in her small hands. Even if there was nobody around, Anna couldn't even bear the thought of her _shadow_ looking at her. She was so embarrassed.

_What was I even thinking? She probably thinks I'm still the little girl she left behind years ago. It doesn't help that I showed her all those drawings from when I was like, six or something…_

Anna sighed. She just got so excited about the trip, she couldn't help it. Merely thinking about it made her giddy, and being too excited about anything had the effect of transforming her into a childish wreck.

Granted… the trip would be a lot of fun. There was no doubt in her mind about that. Even Kristoff seemed legitimately excited for her when she told him about her plans, even though he teased her for her apparent lack of sanity.

_"These days, nobody helps people just to help," he said. "They're always expecting something in return. And if you help someone for free, they'll just keep expecting more and more of your help, and soon you'll find yourself caught in their trap. Suddenly, you're obligated to help them, even if you don't want to!"_

Anna lowered her hands to her lap, and a smile began to creep up on her lips as she recalled her conversation with Kristoff.

_"At least, that's what I thought before I met you," the mountain man had said. "I guess good things can come out of helping people. Helping you did destroy my sled though, and nearly got both of us killed… Er, what I'm saying is—well, your heart is in the right place, Anna. I just can't imagine putting myself through all the trouble. But hey, it's your thing."_

Kristoff could be a bit rough around the edges, but somehow, just by being himself, he knew how to ease Anna's worries and lift her spirits. Maybe it was because he never tried to be impressive. He was just this honest, imperfect man who didn't care about appearances. He lived his life the way he wanted to live it. He didn't need to pretend to like anyone, and he didn't need to talk in circles the way that the diplomats did whenever they visited to talk business with Elsa.

Anna was sure that Elsa hated it. She probably hated the forced diplomacy, the pleasant and cool demeanor she had to maintain. When they were alone together, Anna and Elsa could just be themselves. Anna could see the change in her sister as soon as night fell and all the castle guests were gone. Elsa's laughs were more natural, less… perfect. Elsa didn't care how she looked in front of Anna; she didn't need to stand perfectly with her shoulders back and her spine elegantly arched at all times. She could laugh without covering her mouth, she could smile without worrying how a big grin would distort her perfect face, and finally, she could freely use her powers. The latter seemed to bring Elsa the most joy.

If only they had more chances to just be themselves. To throw away their titles and their responsibilities!

An idea struck her, and Anna leaped off her bed with renewed vigor.

"I've got it!"

* * *

Elsa blinked.

"Wait. Let me get this straight. So… we're going to dress like commoners, and just… act like them, too? Is that it?"

"And help them!" Anna added on, turning around to show off the dullest, most unimpressive dress she owned. It hung unflatteringly from her body, obscuring her feminine shape. It draped plainly down to her knees, lacking the graceful flow her other dresses had. It was probably the ugliest item she could find in her closet, which, given her selection, didn't say much. Everything else was gorgeous.

Anna bit her lower lip in nervous anticipation. Her plan sounded a lot better in her head. Why couldn't she express how great it was in words?

Elsa chuckled at Anna's little show.

"I like your enthusiasm," Elsa said, "But, if we hide our identities, what reason would we have help them? They wouldn't even know who we are. I thought the idea was to earn our people's love and trust. We can't really do that if we're in disguise…" she pointed out. "Not that it's a bad idea by any means. I'm just trying to wrap my head around this plan of yours."

"Oh… that's true," Anna said dumbly. She wrung her hands self-consciously, restraining the urge to hit her own head against the wall.

_I'm so stupid. _

As always, her sister was the bright one, able to point out the holes in Anna's logic when necessary. Anna hadn't taken that huge, glaring problem into consideration. How did she ever survive thirteen years without her sister keeping her in check?

… That's right. She didn't. Just two weeks ago, she had nearly gone off and married a manipulative, power-hungry man who she had only known for one day, and very nearly got Elsa killed as a result. Shame flared up in Anna's belly. She hated feeling this way. Anna knew she could never match her sister. She just wanted to make her happy, but it seemed like the only thing she knew how to do was waste her time… and fake a hell of a good smile while she was at it. At least Elsa wouldn't need to deal with Anna's self-esteem issues.

Elsa took a long sip from her cup of hot tea, and she closed her eyes contemplatively.

Silence.

Anna tilted her head back in resignation and gazed narrowly up at the ceiling, cursing herself for being so foolish, so childlike. If only she were more like her sister, then maybe the two of them would be able to see each other as equals rather than Elsa practically being her guardian…

Clink. The Queen placed her cup of tea back onto its tiny china plate.

"Alright, I have an idea," came Elsa's velvety voice. "How about this? For half the time, we can be the Queen and princess of Arendelle," she suggested. Her voice brought Anna back to earth, regained her attention. "That's when we'll be public. We'll better the lives of our people with our own hands and combined effort. And the other half of the time? We'll just be ourselves." Elsa folded her hands and neatly placed them in her lap. "I think it'll give us a chance to see how the people in our own kingdom live, don't you think?"

Anna's eyes widened and she gawked.

_My idea... is actually going to be useful?_

"At the very least, I think it sounds like fun," Elsa smiled.

"R-Really? You really think so?" Anna squeaked. She felt her stomach do a somersault. A genuine grin spread across her freckled face, and she could do little but stare in awe at her sister.

"Of course. Now, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me find something to wear?" Elsa prompted with a playful wink. "I can't wait to look as gorgeous as you do."

It took all of her strength to suppress the butterflies in her stomach and the heat that rose to her cheeks, but Anna managed an impish grin. She tossed her braids with an exaggerated, ridiculous swish of her hand.

"Oh sis, it's tough imitating perfection… but I'll try my best to fix you up."


End file.
